Just how effective is gambling advertising? YouGov decided to try and find out with a close look at the 2021/22 Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid.
Data was collected before and after the game that saw Real Madrid again become European champions. Such a high profile game sees betting companies eager to get as high a share of a very competitive market as possible. That means lots of emails being sent out about the various offers that are available.
The YouGov survey discovered that 54% of offers and reminders did influence bettors. That percentage said that the promotions they were informed about helped them to remember to place a bet on the Champions League final.
The survey questioned monthly sports bettors and found that there was a significant increase in the engagement made by bettors for the big match. Of those who did place bets that were of higher amounts than expected, 56% said the offers that bookmakers sent to them directly incited them to place a bet or two on the final.
Adverts placed on television or online came second with 15%, social media ads 13% and the ads you see in bookie windows and newspaper ads both had results of 7%.
Sending direct offers to customers was the best way of persuading someone who hadn’t planned to bet on the game to do so. Three out of five of those who hadn’t intended betting on the Champions League final said it was promotions that made them decide to eventually place a bet.
Some customers left their decision to just before the game. 64% said they did this in the hope that they would receive a free bet or special offer on the cup final.
It was bet365 who were the top choice for gamblers according to the study and not Ray Winstone. YouGov commented: “Our pre-study research showed that bet365 was the preferred brand choice ahead of UCL Final. 42% of monthly sports bettors in the UK expected to place a bet with them,” YouGov explained.
In the end, more than that figure placed a wager with bet365 and reached the 50% mark. In second place was Sky Bet with 29%, William Hill on 11% and both Betfair and Paddy Power had a 10% share.
Just why did people decide to bet? 57% said that having a bet on the game was a way to better engage with the event that is taking place. That does give a more personal involvement in the event, especially if you don’t support anyone taking part.
The study is likely to worry those who are eagerly awaiting the White Paper on gambling reform. Gambling advertising is a thorny subject and evidence that promotional campaigns do lead to more bets being placed will be a concern. One area that may be addressed by the White Paper is the offering of free bets with many opponents of this tactic.
